DALLAS —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
“Sandwiches will continue to have prominence; there are so many things you can do with them,” Higar told attendees at the Menu Trends & Directions conference held here in a session entitled “Between the Bread: Trends in Sandwiches and Burgers.” —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
Sandwiches offer both operators and customers variety, good value and convenience, he said. —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
“Proteins will help differentiate the sandwiches,” Higar said. “Everything else on that sandwich is fair game. You will see two directions that can go: We can continue to stay with the traditional comfort-food interpretation, but we can also go for a more sophisticated level that challenges the consumer with some new and unique flavor profiles.” —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
Sandwiches are especially popular for those on the go, he said, because consumers’ lifestyles are hectic and the portability of sandwiches and burgers allows them to “to do multiple things at the same time.” —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
He urged menu creators to not be fettered by the traditional, as seen in the burger category with: —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
“Glam-wiches” such as Country Kitchen’s smokehouse burger and a new line of prime sirloin cheeseburgers at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar. —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc. “Wham-burgers” with a powerful flavor punch, such as the Angry Whopper at Burger King, the green-and-hot burger at Ted’s Montana Grill and the Burnin’ Love Burger at Red Robin. —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
“These have aggressive, over-the-top flavor profiles,” Higar said. —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
“Sham-burgers” such as the burger taco at Rubio’s, the cheeseburger pizza at California Pizza Kitchen and the ice cream “burger” at Noel’s. —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
Sandwiches are also showing great flexibility on menus from casual dining to fast food, Higar said. —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
“You can also get customization and great flavor profiles,” he said. “I can make it healthy. It can be indulgent. It can be multiple day-parts. It’s endless what you can do here.” —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
Sandwiches reflect food trends as well, he said, citing the popularity of seafood, as exemplified by the lobster wraps at Uno Chicago Grill, and vegetarian offerings, as seen in the tomato and mozzarella panini at Panera Bread. —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
In the first half of 2009, Technomic’s Menu Monitor found the fastest-growing sandwich types by segment were: —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
Casual dining: shellfish, turkey and steak. —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
Midscale: turkey club, pork and roast beef. —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
Quick casual: beef, turkey and cheese. —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
Quick service: vegetables, cheese steak and chicken. —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
Higar said chefs could create sandwiches that resonate with guests in various ways. —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
“It can be the preparation process,” he said. “It might be the fact that you have ‘all natural,’ which talks to the healthier and better-for-you [movement].” —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
One strong trend is toward comfort food with a “street food” twist, such as the Mexico-inspired torta sandwiches at Baja Fresh. —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
“This is a comfort-food sandwich, but it’s street-food in nature,” he said. “You can have the bread and a number of different proteins and other ingredients. It works nicely with how they are positioned.” —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
Another “sandwich” item that is showing legs is hot dogs. —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
“There are a lot of comfort feelings associated with the hot dog,” Higar said. —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.
The humble frankfurter is showing up with a premium patina as the Angus dogs at Wienerschnitzel, the ample size of the jumbo chili dog at Carl’s Jr. and the snackable mini chili dogs at Johnny Rockets. The wiener even has its place, he added, in the “swanky” cased-meats section at fine-dining chef Daniel Boulud’s casual DBGB’s in New York City.— [email protected] —No matter which way you slice it, sandwiches and burgers will continue to be menu mainstays because of their versatility and popularity, said Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc.